Women's rights have improved in 15 of 18 countries in the Middle East and North Africa over the past five years, although violence against women remains widespread throughout the region, a U.S. study has found.

Sudanese Muslim officials arrest tens of thousands of women a year for wearing "indecent clothing,â€ including trousers, and many have been fined and subjected to 40 whip lashes. One woman tells related the story after being spared the punishment, apparently because she attracted too much bad publicity.